Perchlorate explosive containing nitroguanidine



Patented July 21, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,546,367 PATENT OFFICE.

KENNETH R. BROWN, 01' TAMAQUA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO ATLAS POWDER COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

PERCHLORATE EXPLOSIVE CONTAINING NITROGUANIDINE.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that KENNETH R. BROWN, citizen of the United States, of Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, residing at Tamaqua. Pennsylvania, in the county of Schuylkill and State of Pennsylvania, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Perchlorate Explosives Containing Nitroguanidine, of which the following is a speci fication.

This invention relates to explosives con taining an inorganic perchlorate or a mixture' of inorganic perchlorates, and com prises explosives of this kind containing nitroguanidine.

Explosive compositions have been proposed and successfully used which contain a perchlorate or perchlorates. However, inorganic perchlorates are not in themselves very sensitive compounds and in order to make lower strength explosives in which the perchlorate content is comparatively'low it is quite necessary that some ingredient be used in the composition which sensitizes the mixture and insures the proper detonation of the cartridge and the propagation of the explosion to other cartridges. Nitroaromatic compounds, such as trinitrotoluene, and liquid organic nitrates, such as nitro glycerine, either alone or in combination, may be used for this purpose. However, each of the compounds thus far proposed suffers from inherent objectionable features which restrict its application within rather narrow limits.

Trinitrotoluene, because of its considerable oxygen deficiency, cannot be used in sufficient amounts without imparting to the mixed explosive undesirable products of combustion. Moreover, a considerable percentage of trinitrotoluene is required to impart a satisfactory degree of propagation sensitiveness to explosives which contain only a small percentage of perchlorate. Trinitrotoluene is in itself an explosive, and the result is, in a good many cases, that the strength has been increased beyond the desired figure. The combination of the large percentage required and its relatively high cost makes trinitrotoluene inapplicable in a great number of instances. These same objections apply to a greater or lesser ex tent to other nitro-aromatic compounds.

Liquid organic nitrates, such as nitroglycerine, tetranitrodiglycerine, the nitrotrinitrotoluene in that Application filed March 11, 1924. Serial No. 698,573.

glycols, the nitrochlorhydrins, any of these mixed with nitrated sugars, and any mixtures of these with themselves, may be used in relatively small quantities to provide or increase the propagation sensitiveness. However, the percentage required is usually such that the characteristic headaches caused from handling the above mentioned compounds are not avoided. Moreover,

most of the above mentioned liquid organic nitrates, when used in any considerable amounts, cause the mixed explosive to freeze at relatively high temperatures.

The use of a combination of a nitroaromatic compound and a liquid organic nitrate effects some improvement, but in gen- Calculation shows the oxygen deficiency of pure nitroguanidine to be minus 30.6 per cent. This compound is more desirable than it has a less oxygen deficiency. Trinitrotoluene is minus 7 4.0 per cent. Nitroguanidine is more desirable than nitroglycerine in that it is a solid compound and cannot freeze, and moreover produces no headache upon being handled. But what is of primary and greater importance, and which fact I have discovered and proven by numerous and exhaustiv tests, is that nitroguanidine in relatively small amounts imparts to mixed perchlorate explosives a satisfactory degree of propagation sensitiveness. This applies to low strength as well as to high strength explosives.

Nitroguanidine may also be used in combination with other explosives such as trinitrotoluene, and nitroglycerine, and related explosives, to sensitize perchlorate explosives. When nitroguanidine is used, the percentage of trinitrotoluene or nitroglycerine, either or both, which is required, is of course reduced. Various combinations of nitroguanidine, trinitrotoluene and nitroglycerine, or explosives related to the last named two, produce a desirable range of results from the standpoint of density and velocity of detonation. However, for my purposes, I limit the use of nitroglycerine or related explosives to not more than 3.5 percent.

With respect to stability toward heat and storage, sensitiveness to impact, shock. or friction, numerous tests have shown that nitroguanidine imparts no undesirable properties to the mixed explosives.

Examples of formulae showing the use of nitroguanidine are given below.

1. Ammonium perchlorate 35 Manganese dioxide 6 Nitroguanidine 25 1 Sodium nitrate 28 Ground coal 5 Calcium carbonate 1 2. Potassium perchlorate 25 Ammonium perchlorate 24 Manganese dioxide 4 Nitroguanidine 20 Sodium nitrate 19 Ground coal 7 Calcium carbonate 1 3. Ammonium perchlorate 25 Manganese dioxide 4 Nitroguanidine 81 Trinitrotoluol 23 Sodium nitrate 38 Wood meal 1 Calcium carbonate 1 4. Ammonium perchlorate 20 Manganese dioxide 2 Nitroguanidine 6 Nitroglycerine 2 Trinitrotoluol 20 Ground coal 3 Sodium nitrate 46 Calcium carbonate 1 While I have given specific instances of the use of nitroguanidine and have shown definite percentages of ammonium and potassium perchlorates and nitroguanidine and other ingredients, it must be understood that I do not limit myself to these particular applications. Many changes may be made to the above examples without departing from the spirit of my invention.

For instance I specified trinitrotoluene and related explosives. Trinitrotoluene is 1, with 25% of the inert substance kieselguhr and packed in an 1 1 x 8" dynamite cartridge can be completely detonated with a No. 6 cap. Among these explosive organic nitrates, as defined above, may be mentioned nitroglycerine. tetranitrodiglycerine, the nitroglycols, the nitrochlorhydrins, any of these mixed with nitrated sugars, and any mixtures of these with themselves.

Having described my invention what I claim is:

1. An explosive, containing an inorganic perchlorate and up to three and one-half percent (0.00 to 3.50%) of an explosive liquid organic nitrate, in which nitroguanidine is used as a component of the explosive composition.

2. An explosive containing an inorganic perchlorate, a nitroaromatic compound and up to three and one-half percent of an explosive liquid organic nitrate,one or more inorganic nitrates and one or more oxygen deficient materials other than a nitroaromatic compound, together with nitroguanidine.

3. 'An explosive containing an inorganic perchlorate, an inorganic nitrate, an explosive liquid organic nitrate and nitroguanidine.

4. An explosive containing a mixture of an inorganic perchlorate, an inorganic nitrate, an explosive liquid organic nitrate, an oxygen deficient material other than a nitroaromatic compound and nitroguanidine.

In testimony whereof he aflixes his signature in the presences of two witnesses.

KENNETH R. BROWN. Witnesses .RoY L. HILL,

RUSSELL M. CooK. 

